Retail briefs

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 12/17/2001 12:00:00 AM

Home Depot Expo broadens target audience

Home Depot's Expo is looking to broaden its base of target consumers and is bringing down its entry-level price points, said Melissa Watkins, spokeswoman. "We will still have high-quality, design-savvy merchandise," she said, but now the retailer is targeting a consumer with a household income of $50,000 instead of the original $75,000. In addition to a $3.99 knob, she said as an example, Expo will also offer a $1.99 one. The focus on the key merchandise categories, however, will not change as much, she said.

JCPenney cuts operations jobs

JCPenney has announced that it will phase out operations at a Wauwatosa, WI, facility, which packs and ships goods for third parties, resulting in the loss of 91 jobs. Penney fulfills Internet orders for such other retailers as Wet Seal and Ann Taylor at the facility, which opened in 1999 when e-commerce was booming. Current contracts for those companies, which run through 2002, will be honored. The retailer also has telemarketing operations and a furniture warehouse at the facility, though it has no plans to shut down those operations.